Not Alone Anymore
by books.forevermore13
Summary: A glimpse of Draco Malfoy's life after the war


**_Written for QLFC Practice Round_**

**A/N — **_I wrote this a while back and well, I was a little shocked to look through it now and find so many SPaG mistakes. It's a short story, not perfect but one of the first I wrote. Any constructive criticism would be good...I love reviews!_

**NOT ALONE ANYMORE**

Even in such a foggy day, Draco Malfoy had the energy and willpower to go to work at the Ministry of Magic.

After all, he was a lonely man and needed to spend his energy in some way. After the war, his father had been sent to Azkaban, his mother had been thoroughly interrogated and his family's name had been tarnished. The Malfoy family was well-prepared for that, though.

It was obvious that they would face percussions for supporting the Dark Side.

Most people even hesitated to speak to him at the Ministry. Draco didn't care though.

On this morning, he woke up and went on about getting ready for work oblivious to the surrounding chilly weather. He considered himself to be a man who couldn't care less about the surroundings. Lucious had taught him that.

However the moment he stepped out, Draco noticed the thick fog which was surrounding his house.

It was making it hard to even see a few metres ahead. The dense fog was so obstructive that it seemed almost bewitched to an extent. Still, Draco made his way over to the telephone box through which he would be granted passage to the Ministry.

He knew fully well that he might be the only one going over that day. But he didn't mind. An empty office to him would make no difference over a full one. Even during a pleasant day when the ministry was buzzing with energy, no one paid any attention to him.

His mornings were dreary and dull. Hardly anyone ever talked to him and they only did so in the most required circumstances.

Truthfully speaking, he did not specifically like anyone in his personal bubble. He wanted his personal life to be a secret and most importantly, he didn't want anyone to understand his thoughts, emotions and preferences even though a small part of him yearned company.

Draco's schedule was fixed; go to the ministry, work for three hours straight, go out for a smoke, come back and work again and after finishing work, go home.

During this period of time, he himself refrained to talk to anyone in order to avoid intrusive questions. People in his office were always scheming to get dirt on him and spread it around as gossip.

Draco was obstinate enough to keep his word and not _mingle_ with others around him. It was easy because rarely was there ever a detour during his work period and that was only when the Head of Department called him to give hime some more work. So, Draco was really not bothered about the ministry being deserted today.

At least he could feel less uncomfortable and not bother about the whispers that went around when he entered the room.

* * *

The scene today was different, shocking even.

When Draco reached his cubicle, instead of seeing grey walls and a brown table with stacks of paper lying on one side, he saw that instead of his papers, there were a bunch of cellophane wrapped boxes. Package ones, with...homecooked food. The walls were the same though, but still the change of scenery on the table caught him by surprise.

He stood still, half thinking he was in the wrong room when he saw a piece of notepaper wedged between two of the boxes. He went over and fished out the paper but not before marveling the beautifully cooked feast lying on the table. It had been a long time since he had had a hearty meal like that.

The note was written in a neat font and it was addressed to him. He started reading it—

_"Happy Birthday Draco! It's about time we put our past aside. You should too. Take this as a token of truce. I know we have a bitter history, but I am willing to keep it all aside. It was not an easy choice to make, you know, but...you have gone through enough. Forgive and forget, right? You should really enjoy this day. Mrs. Weasley cooked these for you. I had to persuade her a lot though:)_  
_Best Wishes, Hermione_  
_P.S. Eat the food while it's still hot._

A small smile made its way on Draco's face. It was his birthday and he had almost forgotten about it.

_She remembered. Maybe Granger's not so bad after all._

This small act of friendship was almost _warming, _coming from someone who Draco had considered an arch nemesis for so long.

Maybe he would not be not alone anymore.


End file.
